Sid, from T1G, takes us through the definitions of Speed and Tactical Reloads. Speed: you’re out of ammo; gas that puppy up as quick as possible. Tactical: There’s a lull in the fight; gas that puppy up, but save the half full magazine for later use. Even if you only shot a few rounds, do you really want to go into the next room with a half-full gun? No. So, take a second, and put in a full mag.

One thing I want to highlight, is where Sid says to conduct your reload; up, right in front of your face. It’s a “pet peeve” of mine, when shooters reload down in front of their waist. With their head down, they lose total situational awareness to their surroundings. That would seem fine in training. However, we react under stress how we have been taught; so, train as you fight. If you think you will be able to take your eyes off the bad guy to your front with the AK while you watch your reload at waist level, you are sadly mistaken. You’ll be stuck staring at him, while your body messes up a simple reload, because you have never practiced doing it correctly. Rather, again, train as you will fight under stress. Keep your head up trained on the target. Conduct that reload right in front of your face, as Sid showed in the video. You’ll be able to look through the front sight of the gun and keep constant awareness of the enemy. Did he hide behind the car to the left or behind the tree to the right? You wouldn’t know if you had been staring at your crotch, during the reload. However, with the gun up, you know where he went and have your weapon ready for when the monkey sticks his head back out. Plus, if you have any problems with your weapon, it’s already up where you can see it. It works. It’s what the pros do; and it’s why we teach it.

So the next time you’re on the range and that pistol runs dry, don’t just holster up and go “admin.” Rather, treat every pause as a chance to conduct a Speed or Tactical Reload. Practice makes perfect. Proper Practice builds Proper Muscle Memory. Muscle memory builds speed, and speed wins gunfights.